I just recieved for approval a draft letter to the OPD regarding the last time I was stopped for peaceable open carry by OPD. I won't post it here, but it does make the appropriate statements and threats of lawsuit.

Also it clarifies the rules for lawful carry of a firearm in the common, public areas of the OPD station. OPD has an unlawful sign requiring disarming before entering the common area. One only is required to disarm in secured areas, and OPD would be required to provide a safe storage space for the weapon, and accept responsibility for it while under their care. My attorney has requested they change their policy to reflect state law.

The letter will be going out to OPD soon... :-)

Norm, JT I'm not being anti cop or anti OPD here. I'm just sick and tired of having my privacy rights violated, my right to bear arms trampled and nobody being able to comprehend what a "Terry Stop" is. There is a small culture there that disregards due process and proper actions in favor of stuff that would be more suitable in California, or Illinois...

I seek only a peaceful resolution to this conflict outside of the courts.

Had a dinner at Old School today starting at 5pm, I reserved the back room, figured about 6-8 people.

We had dang near 20 people openly wearing sidearms crowding Old School and eating pizza. I somehow forgot to mention the size of a "small" pizza to my friends :-)

We spent about 3 hours chatting, and having a good time. Nobody had any problems or issues with us, and I'm pretty sure that 20 people openly carrying were noticed. When we were all getting ready to leave, we chatted with with a couple of guys playing video games about OC.

Drew Hendricks showed up as well, and had a good time talking and exchanging information.

It was quite a rush to have 20 people show up as a show of solidarity against the OPD's harassing actions.

EDIT.  This happened Monday, around noonish. Uploaded document from the OPD, added image of my sidearm

Okay, this deals with guns, and the lawful possession and carry thereof. Anyone offended by this, may as well stop reading. There may even be pictures. Let it be known upfront that I have broken no laws, and always carry my sidearm legally and peaceably. I am not posting this to get into an argument about if my prefered mode of carry is a good thing or a bad thing, or if people should even carry guns, etc... This is to discuss a really screwed up stop by the OPD. The fact that I open carry (OC) my sidearm is not up for debate here. I do, and will continue to do so. In this state, the right to keep and bear arms is clearly enshrined in the constitution, and is a civil liberty. Not up for argument.

The Olympia Police Department has issued a training directive regarding the fact that OC is legal. I have uploaded it here for anyone to download.

Because OC in and of itself is not enough to warrant alarm, and there must be specific behavior accompanying it, despite complaints if I was not engaged in threatening behavior I am breaking no laws. Officer O'Neil gave me a choice to have my weapon taken from me, or to conceal it. This totatally disregarded my rights. This was all happening while his partner had a gun out. They were coercing under color of law to force a particular mode of behavior, despite the actions I was doing breaking no laws. Anyway, I'll clarify points as they arise. I also have some emails from Lt. Wilson I am going to upload. There are some disturbing statements in one of them. I will post them as a reply to this blog entry to keep the intial post as brief as possible. The topic here is how the OPD violated civil liberties, not guns, not OC, etc....

That said, here goes...